NINJABABY is the story of 23-year-old Rakel, who discovers she is six months pregnant after a not so romantic one-night stand. Rakel has never wanted to be a mother and thinks it´s hard enough to take care of herself, making the task of motherhood seem impossible.

When realising she has no choice but to carry the child until birth, she reacts with frustration, confusion and anger. She feels the baby has deceived her. “It´s a god damn fucking sneaky Ninjababy, who thinks it can just hide in there, have a good time and sneak out nine months later.”

Out of the drawings in her notebook Ninjababy appears in Rakels mind, judging her and putting up a fight for his own future. Rakel has to navigate between what she thinks is best for herself and what’s best for the baby - can it be the same thing?

NINJABABY is a moving and fun film about growing up and the paradox of how unprepared one can be when experiencing something as natural as pregnancy in ones most fertile age. The film is based on the comic novel "Fallteknikk" by Inga Sætre. Sætre has also created all the animation in NINJABABY.

Direction: Yngvild Sve Flikke

Script: Johan Fasting

Production: Yngve Sæther, Mia Jensen

Cinematography: Marianne Bakke

Editing: Karen Gravås

Production Design: Tuva Hølmebakk

Animation: Inga Sætre

Costume Design: Mariannne Sembsmoen

Make-Up: Stine Hagen

Sound: Gisle Tveito

Original Score: Kåre Chr. Vestrheim

Visual Effects: Inga Sætre

Cast: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Nader Khademi

Original Title: NINJABABY

Original Language: Norwegian

Film Production Country: Norway

Statement of the Director/s
Due to the time of the year, we wanted to film the final scene on the very first day of shooting. It was supposed to be summer, but the weather was very unpredictable that day. It was pouring down and the sky was completely gray, but when we were ready to start, the sky suddenly cleared and we were basked in the lovely afternoon sun standing in a field in the countryside, just what photographer Marianne Bakke and I had ordered. We had prepared for a dolly shot going towards Rakel. After the third take Marianne turned to me and said: “There’s your final shot!” and I just nodded. What I saw Kristine do on the first day made me feel confident that we’d be able to complete the movie in the short time we had to film. She just brought out the ambivalence I was looking for, and the sun was perfect.

Biography of the Director/s
Born in 1974, Yngvild wrote and directed dramas and documentaries for NRK for 17 years before making her debut as a feature film director with WOMEN IN OVERSIZED MEN'S SHIRTS in 2015. The film was well received by both critics and the public. It premiered at the Gothenburg Film Festival, and was nominated for The Dragon Award. It was also nominated for four Amandas and three Kanon Awards (Anne Krigsvoll won Best supporting actress in both). The short film EPLE (Apple) won Timeglasset for best script at the Norwegian Short Film Festival in 2017. The film was also nominated for best short film at Nordic Panorama, was shown at several festivals, and was a ‘Staff Pick’ at Vimeo in 2018. Flikke directed several episodes of the drama series HOME GROUND, in both season 1 and 2, which was in Official Selection at the Berlinale in 2018 and won Gullruten for best Norwegian drama series and best female and male actor in 2018. Her films have a clear female perspective and intertwine humor with drama.

Filmography of the Director/s
2021 - NINJABABY
2018-19 - HOME GROUND, tv series
2018 - APPLE, short
2015 - MYSTERIET PA SOMMERBATEN, tv series
2015 - WOMEN IN OVERSIZED MEN'S SHIRTS
2012 - HOW MORMOR, tv mini-series
2009 - VERA VENNELOS, tv mini-series
1991 - U, tv series

Awards Won
SXSW 2021: Global Audience Award

Production Company:
Motlys
Yngve Sæther
Sagveien 18
Oslo, 0459, Norway
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +47 92409710
Website: https://www.motlys.com/

World Sales:
TrustNordisk
Susan Wendt
Filmbyen 22
Hvidovre, 2650, Denmark
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +45 25 12 64 80

Press:
TrustNordisk
Filmbyen 22
Hvidovre, 2650, Denmark
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +45 25 12 64 80